Choose Me
by fade-into-wallpaper
Summary: Eames and Arthur desire Ariadne. She loves them both, but she has to choose one. But which one?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Eames and Arthur desire Ariadne. She loves them both, but she has to choose one. But which one?**

Ariadne's POV

Don't get me wrong, they are both quite cute. _Very _cute, in fact. I mean, no offense Cobb, but there are way cuter than you. Lately, Eames been cuddly. Always inviting me to lunch, bringing coffee, giving more-than-the-usual flirty jokes. And Arthur's changed. He gets irritated. Wait, let me rephrase that, he gets _very_ irritated that you can almost swear he's a volcano about to erupt. Like today.

I was drawing blueprints on paper for our next job. Or _staring_ at it, more accurately. Think! I commanded myself. I've been distracted lately. Is it my studies? Work? Pressure? Or the sweet smell of coffee? Wait, what?! I looked up, at the direction of the sweet-smelling coffee. And lo behold, there was the Englishman.

"Hello there, love," he said cheerily.

"Hey, is that for me?," I said, gesturing to the coffee in his hand.

"Yup"

I reach for it but Eames swipes it away from me. He gives me his trademark smirk. Then, I knew he was up to something. Something _bad._

"Eames," I said, giving him my best death glare. If look could kill, he would be dead. Instead, he smiles wider, if that's even possible.

"There's a price for that, love," he said. At that sound, Arthur stood from his desk. I could see he was glaring at Eames, too, from the corner of my eye. He was about to say something when I beat him to it.

"What?" I said impatiently. My mouth was now watering from the sweet aroma escaping from the coffee.

"One kiss", he said, "Just one, darling."

Then, that's when Arthur spoke up. He was _irritated_. _Very_.

"Eames!" he said, "Just give her the freaking coffee! Don't you have work to do!?"

Eames and I flinched. Arthur seemed to process what he just said. I could tell he said the words harsher than he meant to because he quickly went back to his desk. He quickly muttered something about pressure and work. I glanced at Eames. He just shrugged, smiled and gave me a wink.

Oh God. How can someone so awful. Someone so devilish ,that even the devil himself would throw out of hell, be very handsome. Scratch that. I DID NOT say that! Or did I?

I'm such a klutz!


	2. Chapter 2

**Eames POV****  
**  
Damn Arthur. Why, oh, why does he have to interrupt a perfect moment? Oh yeah. It's because he's boring and he liked her! He's a loser, boring, stoic, stick-in-the-mud! Why would he think that Ariadne would ever _like_ him? Much less _love?_ Look, sweetheart, I practically love Ariadne. And I am the sweetest hunk in the world. And I can prove it.

After that incident, Ariadne was working late. I was about to go out, being a late worker (but I rarely do anything), when I heard scribbling. _Annoying _scribbling. I was very sure it was Arthur. Him being the workaholic type of guy. I was walking when I passed the Stick-in-the-mud's desk.

"What the heck?!" I said out loud. If Arthur wasn't here who was. I didn't have to wait for an answer.

"Eames?" Ariadne's voice rang in my ears.

Good. Very good. It was Ariadne. The _beautiful_ Ariadne. I walked to her desk. She eyes were on the blueprint. Her pencil that was short from sharpening and had no eraser was between her teeth. Her hair was pulled into a bun, away from her face, with some pieces hanging loose. She looked truly beautiful.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, as she lifted her eyes to face me.

"Well, I should ask the same to you, sweetheart." I replied "Working late isn't good."

Ariadne huffed. "I'm working on the blueprints because Cobb says it isn't good enough".

I walked towards her desk. I have admit, her layout was _amazing_. There were twists, turns, dead ends and paths that lead you back the start.

"It's amazing, sweetheart!" I said. I could see her face beam in pride. I knew it wasn't easy. Cobb just expects you to make a better layout than your last.

"It's good enough already, darling, you've spent two hours on this!" I added as I looked at my watch.

Ariadne's face shifted from pride to confusion and then surprise.

"Two hours?" she gasped in which as she looked up the clock. The clock read 11 o'clock."Oh no! I'm late for my bus!" she says in disbelief.

"I can take you to you apartment, sweetheart." I say. I mean, I like helping people. _Especially_ her. She gives a smile and mutters her thanks.

So we go to my car. As I drive to her apartment, we sat in comfortable silent. It when we arrive that I notice she has fallen asleep. I tried to wake her but her eyes wouldn't budge. So, I get her bag and fish for her apartment key. I found it and opened her door. Her room was comfortably messy. There was books on the couch, unwashed dishes in the sink and a bin full of trash. I go back down and carry her, bridal style. As instinct, she wraps her arms around me. I take a moment to savour the feeling and I take her to her room. It took awhile to find her bedroom but I found it and gently laid her down. The unusual thing was her arms held on to me. I pried it to release my neck. She finally let go and heaved a sigh. She slept with a peaceful look on her face and I was tempted to kiss her. So I did. She didn't wake up. Even when I went out the door and went back to my car. I was very happy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Arthur's POV**

I hate Eames. He's very annoying. _Very_. And he likes Ariadne. I do too. Oh God, Eames knows it too. And we've been one-upping each other ever since. He's a careless, lazy, and annoying brute. But somehow, Ariadne puts up with that. But I am Arthur. The impeccable point man. And I intend to win the competition.

I, for once, know that I already have a point on Ariadne. It's the kiss from the Fisher Job. Her first job. First kiss. I know it here first kiss because I recently found out she has no boyfriend since birth. I may be the first. Eames had made a move which I have proudly thwarted. No point for the lousy Mr. Eames.

But this morning, I learned something that left me completely baffled!

I was typing on my computer after I has successfully hacked the Marks facebook account. Eames was whistling, doing nothing as always. Cobb was late. And Ariadne just arrived. Eames immediately sprang into action.

"Had a good night sleep, love?"

Ariadne was confused, then sheepish, then confused again. As for me, I had no idea what they were talking about.

"Yeah. Bye the way, did you lay me on my bed? Because I don't remember going out of the car.", she said.

Bed? Car? How in the name of the devil did Ariadne end up in Eames' car and had him lay her in a bed?!

"Well, love, you fell asleep and I couldn't let you sleep in a car, now could I? So I carried to bed." Eames smirked at me.

"Well, um, thanks."

One point Eames. Ariadne went back to work. Eames smirked at me before Cobb arrived and muttered an apology. I didn't mind him. I was glaring intently on Eames. I fashioned a paper airplane with a message and threw it expertly.

_Working hard or hardly working? By the way, what were you two talking about?__  
_  
Eames smirked signifying he read it. What was irritating was that he found it funny. He wrote back a message, crumpled my perfectly, impeccable airplane and threw it at me.

_Someones jealous._

I glared and turned my back on him before I explode and humiliate myself in front of Ariadne. He had a point. _One _point. But I'm going to win.


	4. Chapter 4

Doms POV

It's been days since Arthur and Eames _thing_ for Ariadne. It's not that I'm annoyed. It's because Arthur and Eames are competing for her. We are a team. The Dream Team, as Eames said. And we do not fight.

But that rule is pretty much always broken. It normal routine. Eames jokes, Arthur get irritated, Eames makes fun of Arthur, and Arthur blows up. Then, I end up being a parent over two idiots that can't get along. I ended up being a parent and doctor at the same time today.

I was walking towards the warehouse, hoping for a good day. I went inside and instantly felt the tension between Arthur and Eames. Eames was smirking while Arthur was glaring at him. I rolled my eyes and looked at Ariadne but her back was on them. Then, Yusuf called me, Arthur and Eames for a sedative test. Ariadne didn't mind because she didn't like gulping down liquids that sometimes make your stomach somersault.

"What is it?", Arthur grumbled. As point man, he had the hardest part of the job.

"I made three sedatives, each with it's own special component" , Yusuf said, "And I want to test them each on you".

"And will this, so called _'special component'_, be safe?", Arthur said, ever the pessimist.

Yusuf shrugged. You never know until you try to gulp it down. Eames however was fine with it.

"I will drink this if it enlarges my muscles", Eames said. I saw Arthur roll his eyes.

"Why don't you just drink so I can have the pleasure to see you with maybe something wrong with your pathetic body?!" Arthur said.

Eames was about to retort, when I stopped him. "Don't say anything, Eames, if you don't want your nose broken.", I warned.

"Just drink it and I'll look at the effects after", Yusuf said as he left.

Arthur, Eames and I looked at each other waiting for one of us to gulp the sedative. Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'll drink first", Arthur said.

He gulped the whole thing down. He grimaced for a second and looked okay. He looked at us. He didn't change. No side effects.

"That went well.," Arthur said after a moment. However, he furrowed his brows and clutched his stomach and ran to the restroom.

"I think he's gonna be sick!," Eames said. Eames and I went after Arthur. As leader of the team, it is my duty to make sure everyone is okay.

Arthur emerged from the bathroom. He was fine. Except the feeling I had that something was wrong with him. I couldn't point it out. But Eames saw it.

"Oh my God, Arthur! Your nose is blue!," he said. Arthur quickly grabbed a mirror.

" Oh my God, Cobb! My nose is blue!", Arthur shouted.

Eames just chuckled and said," It's alright, Arthur. If you go out with a blue nose, it will increase my chance with Ariadne".

That triggered Arthur to punch Eames. See? Ariadne's a touchy subject for both of them! Eames stood frozen for a moment and punched Arthur back. Arthur staggered back, now with a swollen, cut lip. He was about to punched back when I stopped him.

"Stop it! Both of you!", I shouted

"Guys? I heard shouting. What going on?", Ariadne said outside the door. She opened the door and gasped. I know we looked like we fought an army in the men's restroom.

"Oh my God! What happened? Why is your nose bleeding, Eames?! And why does Arthur have a bleeding lip!?", Ariadne said.

"Ariadne, I need you to get the first aid kit." I calmly instructed her. She nodded, unable to string a complete sentence.

Half an hour later, Arthur and Eames are seated in the opposite side of our vacant room after I treated their wounds. Ariadne was going back and forth between them while they continuously glare at each other.

"Ariadne, it hurts", Eames complained.

Ariadne went to him. Always caring.

"What hurts?", she said with worry.

Eames smiled at her. "My heart hurts that you don't love me", he said.

Ariadne laughed. I don't think she knows that Eames meant what he said. She's not blind. She's just caring to the point that she thinks that people joke around to relieve the pain they are feeling.

"Oh Eames. Even if you're in pain, you still manage to joke", she said. She looked at Arthur and walked over him.

"How about you, Point Man! You okay?" Ariadne asked. Arthur assured her that he was. Ariadne kissed them both in their forehead and left for her blueprints. That was a friendly kiss. But they didn't get that. Arthur and Eames both look at her until she went out the door. After that they started cursing each other.

That's when I knew. This competition will be a matter of life or death.


	5. Yusufs POV

**Yusufs POV****  
**  
Oh no. This thing has got to stop now. I am going crazy! As a boy, I think it's pretty clear to me that both Arthur and Eames like Ariadne. But being NOT a girl, I don't know if she knows that they like her or she just think it's all sham.

My desk is situated in the off center of the warehouse. Ariadne, Eames and Arthur are around me in a triangle. And I can't take it when they sneak loving stares at Ariadne. So I decided that I tell they boys to stop it.

I walked to Arthurs desk and he didn't even look at me. He was looking at Ariadne. Okay, looking is an understatement. Staring. Yup, that's the word. Staring. As politely as I could, I coughed. And coughed. And coughed. Arthur finally spoke, without looking at me.

"So Yusuf, what brings you here?" he said.

"I came go talk to you about Ariadne" I said. He didn't even answer back. He just kept staring. And staring. And staring. And so I blocked his line of vision to Ariadne.

Arthur frowned. Ha! That should shake him up! He glared at me but I did not move a muscle. He sighed. Defeated!

But he didn't look at me.

I sighed. So I called Eames. No reaction, just Ariadne. I sighed.

"Ariadne? Can I talk to you for a minute?" I told Ariadne. She came walking towards me as both boys straightened their clothes. I rolled my eyes. Boys.

"Is something wrong, Yusuf?" she asked.

I pulled her aside in a corner of the warehouse. Both boys looked at me and narrowed their eyes. I knew that they will not be happy if I told her that they were staring at her.

But this has gotta stop.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?" I asked her. I had to protect myself from the wrath I will experience if I do not hold my tongue. I know Ariadne can keep a secret.

"Fine" Ariadne exclaims, though her brows are furrowed in confusion.

We go out the warehouse. I don't want to hurt her feelings but she has  
to know. "Ariadne,doyouknowwhatshappening?", I whispered very fast.

Ariadne didn't understand. So I said it again, slowly. But she shook her head.

Oh God. So she has no clue.

"Arthur and Eames. They like you. Don't you see?", I say."They both like you. Every day they just stare."

Ariadne looks over at them.

"Okay. I'll do- something!"

I set a huff as me and Ariadne go back to our places. As soon as she hits her desk, she says that she's heading home.

Now, that talk was good. But as soon as Arthur and Eames make it for  
my desk, that thought immediately disappears.


End file.
